1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a novel fluorophthalimide having an antimicrobial activity and also to an agricultural and horticultural fungicide comprising said fluorophthalimide as the active ingredient. It is an object of the present invention to provide a substance effective for controlling diseases of agricultural plants, especially diseases caused by microorganisms belonging to the genus Rhizoctonia, represented by sheath blight of rice plants, and diseases caused by Basidiomycetes.
2 Description of the Prior Art
It is known that phthalimides, especially N-(2'-6'-diethylphenyl)phthalimide and N-(2',6'-diisopropylphenyl) phthalimide, and agricultural preparations comprising the phthalimide as the active ingredient are effective for controlling sheath blight in rice plants (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Specifications No. 25736/75 and No. 30868/75).
However, it cannot be deemed that these phthalimides are prominently superior to antibiotic substances such as Validamycin and synthetic compounds such as N-(3'-isopropoxy)-2-methylbenzamido(Mepronyl). Accordingly, in order to provide a sheath blight-controlling agent having a higher practical utility, it has been desirable that some effective formulation of the fungicidal preparation be devised or such a phthalimide be chemically converted to a derivative having an enhanced antimicrobial activity.